Serious Christianity
 

" ... Ha, Ha, Ha ... Did you hear the one about ..."  No, this is not nightclub.  No this is not some bar.  Shockingly, this is Church at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday morning.  It is "Sunday Morning Live, with your host, 'The Pastor'".

Now what are such nightclub like jokes doing in the House of Almighty God?  Would Jesus have done that?  Would Peter or Paul?  And how about good Christians of the past, men such as Jonathan Edwards and John Wesley?  Would they have made such jokes?  Was the sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" a joke?  Nevertheless, many preachers today sprinkle jokes into their sermons to "lighten up" the atmosphere a bit with a "spirit of levity".

All too often, people want to come to church to be entertained.  They want their ears tickled.  They come for a "good time", not to worship and serve Jesus.  This is, after all the Laodicean Age, the Age of Apostasy.  Jesus said in the third chapter of Revelation,  that so-called Christians would be "lukewarm", and that people would want sweet and easy religion, not "meat".  The Bible said that the End Times would be filled with those who would not endure sound doctrine .  Those days have come.

Today's preachers are often no better then those in the pews.  Such preachers want to get their paycheck.  They want to please those "regulars", those who make out those checks, those who vote in church business meetings.  Yes, most preachers in today's "apostasy" ("falling away from the truth") are not all that concerned about preaching God's Truth.  They know what the people want -- and it isn't preaching.  What the people want is a tasty dish, a Sunday drink that "tastes good" but is "less filling".

So the jokes are there to calm down the people, to put them to sleep, to make sure that their souls don't get awakened so that they might get converted.  After all, they all already believe in God, and surely they once "prayed a prayer", or have been baptized, or have believed some Bible Doctrines, or have done some other good work to try to earn their own salvation.  The pastor does not care .  After all, he is just a "hireling" who cares not for his "flock" --  a flock mostly of goats, not sheep.

But Christianity is not a joke.  True Christianity is serious.  Faithful Christianity is all about putting Jesus and the Bible first; about believing the Bible and obeying it; about being willing to have your name cast out as evil for Christ's sake.  Christianity may even include suffering, torture, or death, as is so often the case in countries where false religions (such as Islam) persecute, and even kill good Christians for remaining faithful and true to Jesus.

Serious Christianity means remaining a Fundamentalist in an ever-increasing world of New Evangelical apostasy.  It means saying "No!" to the Roman Catholic Church.  It means saying "NO" to the mark of the Antichrist and his Whore.  It means refusing the Antichrist's "666"; saying "NO" to the world the flesh and the Devil, saying "NO" to Hollywood and its filthy and blasphemous movies and television.  It means refusing to not spank your child in a wicked, Hippie-ruined society.  Serious Christianity means that you pay a price for refusing to sell out to wicked compromisers and their sin.

But Serious Christianity is also measured by what you do -- not just what you don't do.  Serious Christian women are godly women, who learn the Bible at church and at home.  Serious Christian men obey the Bible and "rule" their household, as the Bible strictly requires for them to do.   Serious Christians witness Jesus to a lost and dying world.  Serious Christians keep their heart from covetousness or bitterness towards God or people.  Serious Christians keep themselves pure.

No, Serious Christianity is not a joke.  A serious Christian is being serious about the things of God.  This is true even when such a Christian's pastor does not want him or hr to be serious and stay holy.  Even if such a proud, wicked hireling preacher wants to bring loud, wild music, dancing, joking, and other sinful behavior into the church, the Serious Christian will resist such wickedness.

Even if such a preacher should require such a Christian to commit sin, under threat of excommunication,  (no this is not a joke - this has actually happened), the serious Christian will put Jesus first and do the right thing, even if it costs him or her friends of a lifetime.

Are you willing to be a serious Christian?  Jesus said that you must count the cost.  It does cost something to be a good Christian in these last days of spiritual apostasy.

Now, perhaps you are not yet saved.  If you want to go to Heaven, if you want to have your sins forgiven, then you need to trust Jesus.  Few are willing to trust Jesus, to live for Jesus,  and to die for Him if need be.

Will you trust Christ?  Will you take the claims of Jesus seriously?  Will you be born again today?  Most likely, you will not.  Most people choose to go to Hell rather than to trust Jesus and go to Heaven.  And how about you?

The broad and easy way is the fast road leading down to destruction.  If you are not willing to take the claims of Christ seriously, then you will have a lot of company.  Most people would rather reject Christ than trust Him and live for Him.

Trust Jesus today.  Then get into a good Independent Fundamentalist Baptist Church.  Do it today.

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